


Absolute Zero (M!DB/Vilkas/Cicero)

by Nudebeme



Series: The Artist and Vilkas [9]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-11
Updated: 2014-06-11
Packaged: 2018-02-04 05:14:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1766812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nudebeme/pseuds/Nudebeme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Dragonborn has entered one of the darkest times in his life after a choice he is forced to make leaves his heart gravely injured.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Absolute Zero (M!DB/Vilkas/Cicero)

It’s been a week now. Vilkas unwaveringly stood beside his husband and nursed him day and night, watching in agony as Chac lay nearly comatose on their bed. The elf that was once so alive and strong has been reduced to doing nothing but drown in endless tears. Vilkas could only watch on, never understanding  _why_  this was all happening. Why Chac lay crying and too weak to lift his head.

He never learns  _why._  Chac would always promise Vilkas that “he can’t”… that there was something so secret not even he could know. Their children suffered and the days went by where Vilkas began to fear for his life, for the life of his lover. What could he possibly be hiding? Chac suffered immensely, he pissed himself and threw up everything Vilkas fed him and gods damn it he wanted to know WHY.

He looks down on Chac, pained and angry in all of this madness. His lover’s eyes looked pallid as he opens them, and in that moment Vilkas hated him.

“By Ysmir if you don’t tell me  _why_  this is happening to you, I’m going to have a heart attack.” Vilkas was not the kind of man who would stand for this any longer. Vilkas pointed an accusing finger at his husband, seeing him lift his head like an infant with no strength. “And don’t give me the tripe about it being a secret, I’m your husband gods damn you! I deserve to know why this is happening, it’s killing me! Pjerlas cried this morning because she doesn’t know if you’re ever going to get better!”

“Vilkas..” He croaks, voice ragged. He knew Vilkas was running out of patience, and the more he begged to know, the harder it was getting to hide it. Memories flooded his mind again, and his standing husband could only watch in horror as tears once again came to Chac’s black eyes.

“Please, tell me..” Vilkas chokes, sympathetic to the suffering of his husband and tired of the mystery. “I can’t see you suffer any more, our children. They deserve to know, don’t they?” The pain in Vilkas’ voice cut Chac deeply, and he knew this time, he couldn’t escape him.

“I’ve lost someone…very dear to me.” Chac confesses, his brow furrowed pain. A thousand thoughts both come and go in Vilkas’ mind..and for the moment his heart felt glad to know that it wasn’t something much darker he hid..something the world would go into chaos for knowing.

But no, pale death has come to haunt Chac again, and he knows the elf is a man who loved with all of his heart. Vilkas’ heart softened for his husband, the shock draining from his eyes.

“Gods love, is that all?” He felt ashamed to say it, but soon he went to his knees at Chac’s bedside, taking his cold and clammy hand into his own. Chac looked weak, his vibrant color drained from him in grief. Chac could have exploded then, but poor Vilkas didn’t know anything about …what he’d done. The years and years of secrets, doling out time to another soul whom he loved just as dearly.

“The world is full of death, Chac. I think you of all people would understand that it’s merely a transition to another life, so they’re not really..gone..” Vilkas trailed off when his words seemed to evoke tears from his sickened husband, he reached in and wiped them away with his thumb, because it was his promise to. “And who knows love, you’ve met Kodlak in death..Ysgramor..who’s to say you wont meet your lost one again someday?”

For the first time in weeks, he saw Chac smile. It was blanched clean onto his mind, despite the tears that ran steadily. Chac went to a place in his mind where he could only hope that would happen, that Cicero, that sweet sweet Cicero would embrace him again, and forgive him…or thank him.

“Only in my dreams, I can pray..” Chac mouthed, his voice sucked clean from him by emotion. Soon the smile was gone, and Vilkas knew his words where short lived comfort. He wanted to climb into the bed and embrace Chac, to give him some sort of comfort but the elf sought none of it- it was infuriating having to leave him here, sleepless on the edge of the bed every night while Chac tossed and turned in his fevered sleep.

Chac glanced at the suffered look on Vilkas’ face, and knew he was trying his hardest to merely stand by as per his wishes. Maybe it was finally being able to tell him, but Chac suddenly felt desperate for his warmth. “I need you here.” Chac begs him, and Vilkas’ heart ached to finally be able to embrace him the way he wished. Vilkas climbed into the bed, bringing his arms around Chac’s smaller frame and holding him tight.

“Thank you..” Chac sighs, his beard grown ragged and skin cold. It hurt to feel him this way, but Vilkas was as sure as anything he could pull the elf out of it if he just held on tight enough. It always worked in the past..He shamelessly kissed his husband on the lips in a desperate attempt to heal him, hearing a peep from his throat.

“Pain is fleeting, my love.” Vilkas coos, his fatherly voice brought down to a whisper. Chac turned towards his embrace and let his eyes slip shut, memories of Cicero flashing before his lids, making his face hot with sadness. It’s been a week since that day, but the pain…Chac feels grief like he’s never felt before, and not even the safety of Vilkas and his children could lift him from it. Pain is fleeting, but gods, when will it stop?

Chac’s arms felt like dead weights, but he lifted them and brought his hands to Vilkas’ back, feeling the warmth of his body enter his own where he clearly didn’t deserve it. His flooded eyes shut and he wills himself to sleep, knowing that now Vilkas would be there to wake him when the terrors of his memories return to haunt his sleep. 


End file.
